SBDC partners with West Plains incubator

The Missouri Small Business Development Center at Missouri State University entered a service agreement with West Plain's Ozarks Small Business Incubator.

Through the partnership with the organization known as OzSBI, the SBDC is expanding its reach in southwest and south central Missouri, according to a news release. The SBDC is using Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding it received for the agreement.

The partnership agreement that runs through March 2021 calls on OzSBI officials to provide SBDC services, such as training programs for businesses, in Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Shannon, Wright and Texas counties. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed in the release, and an SBDC official could not be reached for comment by deadline.

"While OzSBI and the Missouri SBDC at MSU have always been resource centers for small businesses, both of our organizations have seen an increase in the demand for our services since the beginning of the pandemic," OzSBI Executive Director Heather Fisher said in the release. "Our partnership will allow us to extend our assistance and help more small-business owners and entrepreneurs in the region in a collective effort.”

OzSBI also will work with the Small Business Development Center at MSU's West Plains campus as part of the agreement.

OzSBI ranked No. 2 on Springfield Business Journal's list last year of the southwest Missouri area's largest business incubators, with 13 tenants as of Sept. 23, 2019. The incubator also reported 291 total startups assisted and 339 jobs created.

The SBDC's partnership with OzSBI marks the second announced this month. The SBDC also entered a contract with the Taney County Partnership to expand services in the Branson area.